Prince Louis dons Wales bucket hat as George, Charlotte make first official Scotland visit at Commonwealth Games

A netball thriller

The Prince and Princess of Wales, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, brought their three children to Glasgow's Hydro arena on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games. They watched Jamaica defeat defending champions Australia 46-45 in a semi-final that ranked among the biggest shocks in netball history. The match was one of several events taking place on Saturday, alongside athletics, boxing and judo. The Games, affectionately called the "friendly games", have also been attended in recent days by the Duke of Edinburgh, vice patron of Commonwealth Sport, and his wife.

First official visit to Scotland

The outing marked the first official visit to Scotland for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Eight-year-old Louis drew attention with a Beicio Cymru (Wales Cycling) bucket hat, grinning as he sat with his family. The appearance was a rare public outing for the children, with William and Kate carefully choosing occasions that make sense for the family. After the netball, the family emerged between lines of volunteers and met gold medal-winning para powerlifter Mark Swan and gymnast Reuben Ward on the concourse outside the venue. Commonwealth Games mascot Finnie high-fived George, Charlotte and Louis and fist-bumped Kate. Waiting crowds cheered as the family made their way to their cars before heading to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in the east end of the city.

Coming into the Games, I was just hoping for the best and hopefully I could get some medals. Being in a position where I'm being chosen to meet the Prince of Wales, it's just a strange but incredible experience.

A Games rescued from uncertainty

The 2026 Commonwealth Games were nearly cancelled after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as host in 2023, citing spiralling costs. Glasgow stepped in to reprise its 2014 hosting role, but with significant alterations: the event is scaled down to 74 nations and 10 disciplines, including athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, 3x3 basketball, bowls, boxing, judo and netball, with some categories for para athletes. The opening ceremony was the first held indoors, and King Charles and Queen Camilla marked it by emerging from a Tardis at the Hydro arena, a light-hearted moment reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth II's 2012 Olympic skydive with Daniel Craig. The Games, which originated as the British Empire Games in 1930, faced an uncertain future until Glasgow's intervention.

Investing in the next generation

William and Kate also planned to meet athletes whose careers have been empowered by SportsAid, the charity Kate has supported as patron since 2013. They were to connect with emerging talent from the Team England Futures project, which gives young athletes and support staff behind-the-scenes experience at the Games to prepare for future medal-winning performances as Team England, Team GB or ParalympicsGB debutants. Past SportsAid beneficiaries include Sir Chris Hoy, Ellie Simmonds, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Tom Daley. At the Velodrome, the family met Sir Chris himself and watched track cycling, rounding off a day that blended royal duty with family time.